


The (Not Very) Haunted House

by RainyMeadows



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: Alfendi wears a dress and loves it, Everyone in this family is living their best life, Family Fluff, Fluff, Good Parent Hershel Layton, Other, Uncle Des - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:40:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25111039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainyMeadows/pseuds/RainyMeadows
Summary: There have been strange occurrences around the Layton household. Alfendi and Katrielle think a ghost might be responsible, but could there be a more conventional explanation for the scratching, wailing and doors swinging by themselves? Loosely tied to The Families of Jean Descole.
Comments: 11
Kudos: 35





	The (Not Very) Haunted House

“Hey, Daddy?”

Hershel picked up his little daughter’s empty plate.

“What is it, Kat?” he asked.

“I think this house is haunted,” Katrielle said simply.

He hesitated halfway to the sink.

“What in the world makes you say that?” he asked.

“Seriously?” asked Alfendi. “You can’t tell me you haven’t heard weird stuff around this place!”

“My door keeps swinging open all by itself!” Katrielle complained. “Every time I close it, it gets opened again!”

“I hear weird scratching noises in the middle of the night,” added Alfendi. “Just take a look at my bed’s legs, Mr Layton! They’ve got scratches all over them! My door too! And last night, I got woken up by… I don’t know what it was! Some kind of _wailing!_ ”

“You heard that too?” asked Katrielle.

“Of course I did!” Alfendi replied. “I don’t know how anyone _couldn’t!_ ”

The other adult man in the room looked to the youth yet to speak.

“How about you, Flora?” Des inquired. “Have you noticed any supernatural happenings around this house?”

Flora took a small sip from her orange juice.

“I didn’t want to mention it,” she admitted, “but sometimes I’ll go to the toilet or to get a drink of water while I’m working in my room, but…”

She twitched her fingers on her glass.

“I’ll hear a kind of crashing noise,” she went on, “and when I get back, all my fabrics will be on the floor!”

“Good grief!” gasped Des. “And you’re sure they didn’t slip off by accident?”

“I’m positive!” replied Flora. “I’d never put anything where it could fall on the floor!”

“None of us are saying you are, my dear,” Hershel assured her, stacking plates in the dishwasher, “but I believe we should discuss this further this evening. As it stands right now, most of us need to get to some form of schooling.”

“ _Joy,_ ” Alfendi deadpanned as he got up from the table.

“Quite frankly, part of me hopes this place _is_ haunted,” said Des. “I’ve always wanted to live in a haunted house.”

“But that’s coz you’re weird!” Katrielle objected.

“It’s a sign that the building has history!” Hershel pointed out. “Perhaps I’m only speaking as an archaeologist, but to genuinely communicate with a person from long in the past could easily prove fascinating. Who knows what we’d hear if these walls could talk?”

“They’d say you all need to get a move on!” Des swept up from his seat. “Like you said, we can talk about this later! I won’t see any of you being late for your classes!”

“Yes, yes, alright,” said Hershel. “The usual split?”

“Shotgun!” Flora piped up.

“Hey!” Alfendi complained.

“Too slow!” Flora giggled.

Jackets, hats, and bags were snatched up as the family ran to complete their daily obligations.

Meanwhile, in the house they had left behind, the sixth presence in the house settled down in the middle of the table.

* * *

Hershel rubbed his eyes.

He was in dire need of a break. While it was true these pieces needed to be thoroughly cleaned, there was only so much dust he could brush off, so much stone he could meticulously scrape away, before he needed to get up and stretch his legs.

Not only that, but his throat was dry to the point of scratchy, and he needed to get a glass of water before the dehydration made him cough.

He stretched his back as he got up, left his door ajar and hopped down the stairs to the house’s second level. Despite the lights being on and putting everything on full display, he couldn’t see any scratch marks on any of his kids’ doors, no matter what Alfendi had sworn to him.

Haunted indeed…

He hurried downstairs, smiling as he passed his family in the living room. Flora had enlisted Alfendi to model one of her latest creations – a very fetching pale-yellow sundress decorated with light orange ribbons – and Alfendi was twirling and posing his lanky little heart out.

If he didn’t have all these fossils to clean, it would be extremely nice to join them.

Well, all the more reason to get it done as fast as possible!

Hershel filled a cup at the sink and trotted back upstairs, taking a refreshing sip once he was in the corridor, then continued up to his attic office.

The door was fully open.

He froze at the sight. He was _sure_ he had left it ajar.

He took another sip from his water. Perhaps his mind was just playing a trick on him.

Whatever the case, he re-entered his office and pulled back-

No.

His chair should _not_ be this heavy.

Hershel looked down at his chair’s seat.

A large pair of round orange eyes looked back at him.

* * *

“Have you got anything for me, Flo?” asked Des. “Surely there’s a dress or two that I could try on!”

“Sorry!” Flora giggled. “I’m afraid you wouldn’t fit into anything I’ve made. Alfie’s the only one who’s tall enough!”

“You look silly!” Katrielle laughed.

“How dare you!” Alfendi argued back, giving another dramatic twirl. “I’ll have you know I feel damn pretty in this thing!”

“Perhaps you do,” said Des, “but I’m afraid the jeans rather ruin the look.”

“Hey!” Flora said angrily. “Dresses and jeans were a very popular combo in the mid-2000s!”

“Yes, and there’s a very good reason it’s a trend that died,” Des pointed out. “Alfie, you look ridiculous.”

“But I’m _comfy,_ ” Alfendi responded. “And that’s what’s important.”

A knock on the doorframe caught everyone’s attention.

“Are you all having fun?” asked Hershel, leaning to peer around the corner. “I can’t be sure if yellow is your colour, Alfendi.”

“Too bad, I’m beautiful,” Alfendi replied with a twirl.

“Are you finally finished cleaning bones, Hershel?” asked Des.

“I’m afraid not,” Hershel reported, “but I did find what I believe to be the source of what the kids have dubbed our haunting.”

“You did?!” squeaked Katrielle.

“Indeed,” said Hershel, “and there’s nothing supernatural about it. Could you please all be very quiet?”

“What?” Des frowned in confusion. “Whatever for?”

Rather than saying another word, Hershel stepped out from behind the wall, and four sets of eyes widened in amazement at the sight of what he clutched to his chest.

“Oh my gosh!” Flora gasped in delight as he entered the room.

“Kitty!” Katrielle squealed.

“Oh, thank god, it’s just a cat,” sighed Alfendi.

Des pressed himself up from the sofa and approached to meet the new family member.

“Must be a stray,” he commented, and he scratched it under its chin. “Any idea where it came from?”

“She must have been living in this house all along,” said Hershel. “I can’t imagine how much we must have frightened her. Kids, if you want to say hello, please be gentle.”

He kneeled down on the floor, still hugging the fluffy feline to his chest, so that everybody would be able to reach her.

“She’s so floofy!” squeaked the wonderstruck Katrielle, gently stroking its little black head.

“That’s amazing!” Flora scratched behind a pointed ear. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cat with orange eyes before!”

“I’d ask if I could hold her,” said Alfendi, “but I don’t want to get black fur all over myself. Mr Layton, how could you tell it’s a girl?”

“The way one usually deduces an animal’s sex,” Hershel replied. “I suspect she must have belonged to this house’s previous residents. They left her behind when they moved out.”

“That’s disgusting!” Des spat. “I know it’s only a cat, but what kind of monster would you have to be to abandon a pet like that?!”

“It’s not my place to say,” said Hershel, “but judging by the collective response…”

He looked around at his family.

“I think it’s safe to say she’s welcome in the Layton household,” he declared.

“We can keep her?!” Katrielle bounced on her heels.

“I don’t see why not,” said Hershel, adjusting his grip on the cat’s hips. “We’re in her house, after all. Why shouldn’t we allow her to become a part of the family?”

“We’ll have to take her to a vet to make sure nothing’s wrong with her,” Des pointed out, “but so long as she doesn’t get fur all over my equipment, you shan’t find me complaining.”

“And we’ll need a scratching post,” said Alfendi, raising a finger as if scolding a child. “You can’t go scratching up my bed!”

“What are we going to call her?” asked Flora.

Hershel gently scratched the cat’s cheek and she leaned into his chest.

“I’ve been giving that some thought,” he explained, “and I believe I’ve come up with the perfect name for her. One that encapsulates everything about her personality.”

He looked up at his kids with a wry smile.

“Descole.”

Des’ face fell.

Alfendi snorted into his hand. Katrielle stared in confusion. Flora tried to cover her mouth in a futile effort to stifle her laughter.

“And _why_ would we name her that?” asked Des.

“Isn’t it obvious?” asked Hershel. “Look at how happy she is to receive all of this attention.”

The black cat kneaded her paws on his sleeve, her body vibrating with relentless purring.

“I first came upon her when she had stolen my chair,” Hershel continued, “and Alfie and Kat said that they heard wailing in the middle of the night, which must have been her meowing.”

He adjusted his grip again as the cat nestled into his chest.

“She’s loud, demands attention and interferes with my work,” he summarised. “What else would I ever name her?”

Des slumped back onto the floor.

“I don’t hate it,” he said flatly. “I just hate that I don’t have anything to argue with.”

“It’s perfect!” Flora added happily.

“Anything that annoys Uncle Des is cool with me,” said Alfendi, earning himself an angry glare from the man in question.

“She’s so cute!” squeaked Katrielle. “I love you, Descole!”

Hershel gently tickled the sleeping cat’s cheek.

“I’m sure she loves us too,” he said. “Welcome to the Layton family, Descole.”

**Author's Note:**

> Artwork by @meldy-arts


End file.
